This thesis sets out to explore prior definitions and models of nationalism, and to compare them to the actual expression of nationalism in Ireland through an examination of four periods in Irish history. The works of Max Weber, Clifford Geertz, Eric Hobsbawm, and Ernest Gellner are examined first since they represent key paradigms in sociology for understanding the phenomenon of nationalism. The case study material of the thesis, which is a historical examination of nationalism, and its rhetoric and consequences, examines four examples of nationalism in Ireland: the rebellion of the Gaelic chieftains at the end of the 16th century, the rebellion of Wolfe Tone in 1798, the Easter Rebellion in 1916, and the beginning of the latest troubles in 1972. Through the marriage of theory to specific events, this thesis attempts to create a hybrid definition for nationalism in Ireland. Perhaps most importantly, this thesis suggests that nationalism is a means for groups to advance their own political, economic, and social interests, rather than an irrational expression of primitive tribalism. Irish Nationalism is much too dynamic and complicated to be explained by a nomothetic understanding of social phenomena. The conclusion will suggest, based on the evidence of the case studies, that Irish nationalism represents a means for social groups to empower themselves, in the face of colonial domination, by what they defined as a foreign power
